Employment in Spain

With unemployment at 19-20% in Spain, there is high competition for jobs.

Finding a job

The traditional routes of newspapers, Internet and employment agencies are used less frequently in Spain than other countries. Many jobs are got on the basis of relationships and contacts.

Quite often vacant positions not being advertised publicly, but are instead filled by people who have contacts within the company. Our advice is to take advantage of every possible contact that you have

Spanish companies are notorious for not responding to letters. Be proactive and follow up with phone calls.

CV information

As always, a solid, well-formatted CV (curriculum vitae/résumé) is essential. Be careful though as the typical format of a Spanish CV may differ dramatically from your country. For instance, education tends to be emphasised first and this includes lists of additional work-related classes/seminars. CV cover letters in Spain have their own particular format; they are generally short, to the point and the written in a very formal language.

The Spanish work ethos

Traditional working hours in Spain are Monday to Friday from 9:00-9:30 until 13:30-14:00. After a few hours for lunch and a siesta, people return to work from 16:30-17:00 until 19:30-20:00.

When it comes to holidays and vacations time, Spain is a wonderful place to work. By law, any employee under contract is entitled to a full month of vacation each year (usually taken in August) along with numerous national and regional holidays.